Stories by Angel Idowu

Birthday celebrations during the pandemic have gotten creative, but there haven’t been too many birthday concerts. Chicago jazz composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis is adding that to the list this weekend.

Last November, a yellow brick road appeared in the Humboldt Park neighborhood to honor the late author L. Frank Baum. Recently, another installation was added to the historic corner, and we were there for its unveiling.

The city had declared 2020 as Chicago’s “year of music.” Now with live music all but shut down, we’ve been talking with artists who were set to share their sounds before the coronavirus outbreak – including Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers.

Some businesses deemed essential are staying open as Gov. J.B. Pritzker orders residents across the state to stay home and help prevent spread of the novel coronavirus. But how are mom-and-pop operations weathering the storm?

Cancellations and closings are affecting everyone, but they present a unique challenge for freelance artists, whose livelihoods are already dependent on an uncertain stream of income. Now, a group of local artists is stepping in to help.

In the midst of cancelations and closures, an art exhibit remains open, for a limited time, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Black ABCs. Since the 1970s, these letters have been used in public schools around the country.

A Chicago couple are turning their dreams into reality with a design center on the city’s South Side. It houses everything you need to recreate your home, from appliances to artwork and everything in between.